Janet Jackson took to Instagram on Wednesday, July 4, to thank fans for their support following her father Joe Jackson’s death, but her son, Eissa Al Mana, couldn’t let her finish recording the clip without demanding attention.
The 19-month-old, who the singer shares with estranged husband Wissam Al Mana, could be heard asking to be picked up as she filmed the video.
“Hey, you guys, it’s been a pretty rough week,” the singer said in the clip, days after attending a funeral for her father, who died on June 27 of pancreatic cancer at the age of 89.
“But we’re excited. I’m excited,” she continued, referencing her return to her State of the World tour. “We cannot wait to see you. And it’s been way too long. I miss you guys way too much. I’m about to jump on this plane and start this tour.”
“Like I said, I can’t wait to see you — those are my baby’s footsteps you hear, my baby Eissa. All right, honey, all right, sweetie, OK,” she said as she reached a hand down to her son. “I’m right here. I love you, I’ll see you soon.”
“OK, I’ll pick you up, baby,” she said to her toddler, before ending the video with, “Love you, bye.”
Jackson, also shared an old photo of herself with her dad, which she captioned with a purple heart.
As previously reported, the “Miss You Much” singer brought her son with her when she attended her father’s funeral on Monday, July 2, alongside her mom, Katherine Jackson, siblings LaToya, Marlon, Jermaine and Rebbie Jackson, and the late Michael Jackson’s son Blanket.
The Grammy winner revealed in an essay for Essence magazine last month that she has battled depression and “great sadness” in recent years, but she has found joy in her only child.
“The height of happiness is holding my baby son in my arms and hearing him coo, or when I look into his smiling eyes and watch him respond to my tenderness,” she wrote. “When I kiss him. When I sing him softly to sleep. During those scared times, happiness is everywhere. Happiness is gratitude to God. Happiness is saying, ‘Thank you, God, for my life, my energy and my capacity to grow in love.'”
Jackson split from Eissa’s father in April 2017 after five years of marriage.
